In the ongoing Maharashtra assembly budget session, there has been a lot of commotion in both houses of the legislature over certain emotional issues, mainly regarding religious or caste sentiments. While the budget session of the assembly is usually expected to see debates over financial and economic issues, Tuesday witnessed heated debates over emotional issues focusing on religious sentiments. The scene became so stark that even MLAs from the ruling side were seen holding various boards and banners, agitating outside the assembly as if they belonged to the opposition!

The last entire year has been that of an election campaign. In the first half of 2024, Lok Sabha elections happened, and towards the end of the year, there were the all-important Maharashtra assembly elections. So, the entire year, in a sense, was devoted to political campaigns and heated debates. What was witnessed were two types of polarisations that were, perhaps, encouraged by the two sides of the political divide. The Maha Vikas Aghadi, especially the Congress party, focused on the reservation issue for Marathas, which caused polarisation on a caste basis, while the other side focused on the Hindutva narrative, which caused religious polarisation.

It was........

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